Google and NB

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Could Google be coming to NB? That’s the speculation in this article. Unless electricity rates are cheaper or we can do something creative like harness cold water from the Bay of Fundy to cool data centres, I don’t think Google will be coming but you never know. After almost 20 years in this business, I have seen stranger things.

I see the Northern NB Mayors are getting together to work on economic development issues. The last time I read something about Northern mayor collaboration they were working together to save health care services. At the time (and now) I believe the focus must be on replacing the disinvestment from the forest products and mining sector. Health care is a reactive sector. If the demand is there, then the supply must follow. If tens and even hundreds of millions in economic activity (and ultimately thousands more people) is gone, it is a natural outcome that there will be a decline in all demand-based services in northern NB.

We need to get the focus back on attracting investment and export oriented local company expansions. Then, we fight the health care battle.

10 thoughts on “Google and NB”

Cheap power is just the beginning of the problems in attracting Google to N.B. like BNB believing that we have good network connectivity to the rest of the world. But we do have other advantages that are attractive to hosting companies.

Our geographic location has proven to be relatively immune to to hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, etc. However, we are susceptible to snow and ice but those risks can be mitigated by having redundant power and network connectivity. As I eluded to before it’s the network connectivity part that will be very difficult to overcome. The government of N.B. has had no interest in supporting competition to Aliant, therefore the type of company necessary to provide the network Google will need doesn’t exist in N.B.

I am speaking from experience on the last point because I tried to install a competitive network in Saint John, but BNB helped shut down the plan because we would be in direct competition with Aliant.

As a suggestion to BNB, if they want to encourage hosting companies like Google to come to N.B. (which I think is a great idea) then they need to start supporting other network providers like Rogers (no, I don’t work for them, don’t even like them!).

@Anonymous
To follow up, if they do plan on synchronizing data centers to time zones to take advantage of off peak demand hours, we may have the advantage that although not geographically distant from the eastern seaboard, we are a whole time zone away. One hour might make a difference. While New York is still on peak energy in the evening, we would already be down to off peak demand.

Wow, is that ‘speculation’ or what? Talking to an Ottawa non profit who says that ‘maybe’ New Brunswick has the facilities that ‘could’ attract Google! Now thats hard news!
There is considerable momentum in the US toward single payer health insurance, meanwhile Canada is quickly moving in the opposite direction. Google is quite well known for looking at ALL the angles. While its true that there are new wind farms being planned, they are being planned specifically for export. NB has lagged virtually every other utility in renewable energy.
The upside is that with mill closings, an awful lot of surplus power may be laying around in the future. We saw how people reacted to the idea of cheap power for industry-it wasn’t too popular.
In short, there’s not much here but the rumour mill, but congrats on getting a piece of the article.

2: a faultfinding captious critic ; especially : one who believes that human conduct is motivated wholly by self-interest
— cynic adjective
Both problems would have never occurred if misguided pacification was not the number one object of a failing society, therefore speeding up that same process.The time is fast approaching when you are going to have to admit ,we made a huge mistake! Time to analyze past leaders and see that none ever advocated this lunacy!

That’s actually high praise David. Obviously you aren’t ‘dumb’, you talk all the time. And of all the famous dreamers this guy thinks of YOU.
As for facts…Macleans?? Is that serious?? Who in their right mind equates ‘intelligence’ with museum attendance, volunteering, and participation in sports?? Of course canadians are doing less of those things, we work harder than virtually any country now in the G20!

Getting Google is actually VERY easy to do (but it does take some effort). Like I’ve said, they came to Waterloo, all it took was two developers who started a company, Google bought it and realized these two were the best ones to run it. The ‘effort’ part of course comes from developing a knowledge based economy-which should be done anyway. At the very least, have a competition where applicants submit the best ‘add on’ for Google, the prize is some cash and having it presented to Google. No problem. See how helpful dreaming is:) Of course its the fault of society when dreamers aren’t listened to.